A REDDITCH businesswoman claims the cash-strapped Alexandra Hospital made it so difficult for her to hold fundraisers in its name she decided to give the proceeds to other charities.

Ruth Bains wanted to hold four events to promote her new holistic therapy company Key to the Door and raise money for the Alex, which is threatened with being downgraded.

But Mrs Bains, 39, claims she was told by the hospital's fundraising body, the League of Friends, she would need special permission to publicise the events.

She was handed an application form, which she completed and sent to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for consideration.

As she prepared for the events, which started last month, she had still not heard if she could hold them in aid of the hospital.

And when she called them she was told the outcome of the application had not yet been determined.

"It is absolutely disgusting. If they are in crisis, then you'd think they'd gratefully accept any donations," said Mrs Bains.

She has now decided to divide the proceeds between Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Acorns Hospice.

A trust spokesman said while permission was not needed to donate money to the Alex, it was required if people wanted to use its name in publicising an event.

He said this was in operation to protect the interests of the trust, the general public and legitimate fundraisers like Mrs Bains.

The spokesman said the only person who would consider the application was the chief executive.

"I understand all this was explained to Mrs Bains and she completed and returned the appropriate form,'' he added.

''Our finance department then contacted her because they needed some more information and it was during that conversation that it was explained it might take a couple of days for the chief executive to sign it off.

"I am sorry if Mrs Bains did not understand the explanation given to her but this is certainly not a case of us trying to make things difficult for her."